Refrigerator



3 SheetsSheet 1.

-(-No Model.)

G. W. JENINGS.

REPRIGERATOR.

Patented Feb. 4, 1896.

INVENTOR W www c e WITNESSES ATTORNEYs,

3 sheets-sneet 2'.

(No Model.)

GQW. JENINGS.

REFRIGERATOR.

Patented Peb. 4 1896.

INVENTOR WM BY @www ATT0nNEYs- WITNESSES MMWQ/ n ANDREW BLFAHAM,PHUYO'UTHOWASHINGTUN C UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE lV. JENINGS, OF ROCHESTER, NEV YORK.

REFRIGERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 553,855, dated February 4, 1896.

Application 'lletl January 17, 1895. Serial No. 535,183. (No model.)

T0 all wwne t 11i/cry concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE XV. JENINGS, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Refrigerators, of which the following, taken inA connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, a'nd exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in refrigerators, and is particularly applicable for use with refrigerator-vehicles for transporting dressed meats, butter, poultry, eggs, and similar articles, and has for its object the production of a device which is readily placed in its designed position and practically and effectively supports dressed meats from the top wall of the vehicle and the remainin g articles upon the floor or bottom wall without permitting access of the accumulating water thereto; and to this end it consists, essentially, in the general construction and arrangement of said frame, the supports therefor, and its connections to the body.

In describing this invention reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciiication, in which like letters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is an isometric view of the end of a refrigerator-car provided with my invention and having portions of its top, end, and front side walls broken away for more clearly illustrating said invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view showing the supporting-frame, the intermediate barsor strips for engaging the top face of said frame, the adjacent portion of the top wall of thebody to which said bars or strips are secured, and the supports for holding said frame in its operative position, intermediate portions of the frame and supporting wall being broken away. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken on line 3 3, Fig. 2, showing adjacent portions of the supporting-frame, the hinged connection for securing the same to the supporting-body and the supports for said frame. Fig. i is an isometric view of the detached connection shown at Fig. 3, the intermediate portion thereof being broken away. Eig. 5

is a detail sectional view taken on line 5 5, Fig. 2- and FiO. 6 is a transverse section of a ortion of a car provided with my supportingframe arranged for use as an vinner door.

Refrigerators, and particularly refrigeratorcars, are usually used for preserving` dressed meats, butter, poultry, eggs, and similar articles, and as at present constructed are unprovided with a supporting-frame which may be practicallyvand effectively used either at the top of the refrigerator for supporting the dressed meats or at its base for supporting other articles.

My invention has for its obj ect the production of a device which may be used for this purpose and may be readily and quickly placed in either its upper or lower position.

A represents the body of the refrigerator, which may obviously be stationary or movable, and at Fig. 1 Ihave shown a portion of one extremity of a refrigerator-car, which may be of any desired form, size, and construction. In constructing cars of this character they are provided with a suitable inlet a at one end of their top walls for the entrance of ice and a transverse bar or beam a supported within the car beneath and in proximity to its top wall d2. This bar or beam forms a support for the ice-box, which I have not deemed it necessary to herein illustrate or describe, as the same forms no part of my present invention.

B B represent my improved supportingframes, which preferably consist of racks composed of separated longitudinal and transverse bars b b suitablysecured together, and obviously the frames are formed with a series of slots b3 interposed between the bars b. The frames B B are arranged one in advance of the other with their adjacent edges substantially in contact and the end edge of the outer frame substantially in contact with the contiguous face of the bar or beam a when in elevated position, andconsequently endwise movement of said frames is prevented. As illustrated in the drawings, the frames B B are preferably half the width of the car in order that their adjacent edges b may engage each other and prevent lateral movement of said frames, and to facilitate this result said edges b4 are inclined so as to lap with each other.

IOO

At Fig. l, as I have illustrated but a part of a car, I have shown in full lines only the two outer or end supporting-frames, one in its upper and the other in its lower position. I have, however, indicated by dotted lines the adjacent ends of the frames abutting against the outer or end frames, and it will be obvious to one skilled in the art that each side of the car is provided with a series of supporting-frames of sufficient length and width to prevent endwise and lateral movement of said frames when all are in their upper or lower position.

If desired the combined length or width of the frames may be only part of that of the car, and in such event suitable transverse or longitudinal bars or beams may be used to form an abutment for the adjacent edges of the supporting-frames, as will also be readily understood by one skilled in the art.

The inner side edge of each frame B is secured to the body A by a connection or bar C, which is preferably adjustable lengthwisely, and consists of separate sections c c having their adjacent extremities lapped and provided with guides c2. The upper and lower extremities of the sections c c' are hinged, respectively, to the adjacent side walls, as as, of the body A and the supporting-frames B, and said walls and frames are provided with suitable hinged pieces or leaves c3 secured thereto by fasteninOv means c4 for connection to the sections c c When the supportingframes are in their lower position upon the bottom wall or iioor a1 of the body A, the connections C are extended to their utmost limit. When elevating the frames to their upper postion they are rocked outwardly upon the hinged joint formed between the sections c and said frames and are then elevated until' the connections C are sufficiently shortened, whereupon the frames are swung upwardly upon the joints formed between the sections c and the adjacent side of the body A and are thus elevated above said connections.

The connections or bars C support the outer edges of the frames B when in their upper position, and suitable supports D are utilized for preventing downward movement of the free or outer edges of said frames. These supports D preferably consist of arms hinged at their upper ends to eyes d projecting from the top wall a2 of the body A, and having their lower ends movable through the slots lr3 and provided with shoulders d for engaging the adjacent portions of the frames B. As clearly illustrated at Fig. 2, the shoulder CZ engages the connections or bars C, which are arranged beneath the frames B, instead of directly engaging said frames.

Upward movement of the frames B when in their upper position is prevented by intermediate bars or strips E having their upper edges secured by hinges e to the top wall a? and their lower edges movable into engagement with the top faces of said frames, as

clearly seen at Fig. 2. Vhen the frames B are in their lower position the bars or strips E are swung upwardly and en gage suitable supports F consisting preferably of yielding arms having their upper ends secured by suitable fastening means f to the top wall a2 of the body A and their lower ends provided with engaging shoulders f. The bars or strips E are also provided with stops F for preventing undue movement of the supports D and holding said supports in an elevated position when the bars or strips E are swung upwardly, as illustrated by dotted lines at Fig. 2.

At Fig. 6 I have shown a body A10 provided with an opening d10 in its side wall a11 partially closed by a frame B10 which, when used as illustrated, forms an inner door for said opening. This frame B10 may be secured to the side wall C011 by a lengthwisely-ad j ustable connection or bar exactly similar to the connection C, previously described; but I have shown a connection C10, which is particularly applicable for use therewith. This connection consists of a section c10 secured to the frame B10 by suitable fastening means c11 and provided with guides C12 and a second section C13, which is hinged at @11 to the side wall a11, and is movable lengthwise of the guides C12 as the frame is elevated. lVhen the frame B10 is in its lower position the connection C10 is extended to its utmost, and when the frame is sufficiently elevated vertically it swings upwardly upon the hinge 011 to the position illustrated by dotted lines at Fig. G.

The operation of my invention will be readily understood upon reference to the accompanying drawings and the foregoing specification, and it will be readily apparent that its supportin g-frames are readily placed in either their lower or upper positions and operate to practically and effectively support dressed meats, butter, poultry, eggs, dac. It is obvious, however, that they may be used to support other articles, and that my invention is not restricted for use with refrigeratorears, as it is equally applicable for stationary refrigerators. It is also obvious that the supporting-frames may be raised to their upper position for conveniently arranging them in the upper part of the refrigerator, even though it is not intended to use them as supports when in such position.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination of a body, a substantially vertical connection or bar adjustable lengthwise and having one extremity connected to the body, and a supporting-frame having one edge hinged to the connection and its opposite edge movable above the former edge in proximity to the connection, as said frame swings on its hinge, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination of a body provided with a transverse bar or beam, a series of substan- IOO IIO

tially vertical connections or bars adjustable lengthwise and having their upper extremities connected to the body, and a series of supporting-frames arranged with their contiguous end edges in contact, and the end edge of the outer frame substantially in contact with the bar or beam, said frames having corresponding edges hinged to the connections, and their opposite edges movable above the former edges in proximity to the connections as the frames swing on theirhinges, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of a body provided with a hinge-piece, a substantially vertical connection or bar adjustable lengthwise and arranged in proximity to the side wall of the body with its upper extremity hinged to said hinge-piece, and a supporting-frame having its edge nearest the connection or bar hinged thereto and its opposite edge movable above the former edge in proximity to the connection, said supporting-frame being movable above the plane of the connection or bar as said connection swings on its hinge for elevating its lower end, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of a body, a substantially vertical connection or bar adjustable lengthwise and having one extremity connected to the body, a supporting-frame having one edge hinged to the connection and its opposite edge free and movable above the former edge in proximity to the connection as said frame swings on its hinge, and a movable support for holding the frame in its elevated position, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. The combination of a body provided with a hin ge-piece, a substantially vertical connection or bar adjustable lengthwise and arranged in proximity to the side wall of the body with its upper extremity hinged to said hinge-piece, a supporting-frame having its edge nearest the connection or bar hinged thereto and its opposite edge movable above the former edge in proximity to the connection, said supporting-frame being movable above the plane of the connection or bar as said connection swings on its hinge for elevating its lower end, and a movable support or arm for holding the frame in its elevated position, having one end hinged to the top of the body and its vopposite end provided with a shoulder for engaging the frame, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination of a body, a substantially vertical connection or bar adjustable lengthwise and having one extremity connected to the body, a supporting-frame having one edge hinged to the connection and its opposite edge movable above the former edge in proximity to the connection as said frame swings on its hinge, and an intermediate bar or strip interposed between the supportingframe and the adjacent wall of the body, and having'one edge hinged to the body, and its opposite edge detachably engaged with the supporting-frame, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

'7. The combination of a body provided with a hinge-piece, a substantially vertical connection or bar adjustable lengthwise and arranged in proximity to the side wall of the body with its upper extremity hinged to said hinge-piece, a supporting-frame having its edge nearest the connection or bar hinged thereto and its opposite edge movable above the former edge in proximity to the connection, said supporting-frame being movable above the plane of the connection or bar as said connection swings on its hinge for elevating its lower end, and an intermediate bar or strip secured to the top wall of the body and interposed between said top wall and the supporting-frame, when in its elevated position, substantially as and for the purpose described. v

8. The combination of a body, a supporting-frame secured to the body, an intermediate bar or strip interposed between the supporting-frame and the adjacent Wall of the body, and having one edge hinged to the body, and its opposite edge detachably engaged with the supporting-frame, and a yielding support or bar provided with a shoulder for engaging the intermediate bar or strip and holding the same in its inoperative position, substantially as and for the purpose speciied.

9. The combination of a body, a supporting-frame secured to the body, an intermediate bar or strip secured to the top wall of the body and interposed between said top wall and supporting-frame, and a movable support or arm having one end hinged to the top wall of the body in proximity to the intermediate bar or strip and its opposite end provided with a shoulder for engaging the frame and holding the same in its operative position, substantially as and for the purpose described.

lO. The combination of a body, a supporting-frame, a lengthwisely-adjustable connection or bar having one extremity connected to the body and the other extremity hinged to the frame, an intermediate bar or strip interposed between the frame and the adjacent wall of the body, and a movable support or armhaving one end hinged to the body in proximity to the intermediate bar or strip and its opposite end provided with a shoulder for engaging the frame and holding the same in its operative position, substantially as speciiied.

1l. The combination of a body, a supporting-frame, a lengthWisely-adjustable connection or bar having one extremity connected to the body and the other extremity hinged to the frame, an intermediate bar or strip interposed between the frame and the adjacent IOO IIO

wall of the body, a movable support or arm having one end hinged to the body in proximity to the intermediate bar or strip and its opposite end provided with a shoulder for engaging the frame and holding the same in its testing Witnesses, at Rochester, in the county operative position, and a stop secured to said of Monroe, in the State of New York, this 4th bar or strip for engaging the support or arm, day of January, 1895.

substantially as and for the purpose de GEORGE XV. JENINGS. 5 scribed. Vitnesses: V

In testimony whereof I have hereunto E. A. VEISBURG,

signed my naine, in the presence of two at K. H. THEOBALD. 

